The present invention relates to a fluid discharge pumping apparatus, which is used for discharging a fluid stored inside a cylinder, which comprises an inflow valve mechanism and an outflow valve mechanism, in a given amount to the outside of the cylinder.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-61560 discloses such a fluid discharge pumping apparatus. The apparatus comprises (i) a piston pumping mechanism comprising a pump cylindrical body having a discharge port, a piston body having a supply port, and a moving mechanism which moves the pump cylindrical body and the piston body relatively to each other to covey a supply material from the supply port to the discharge port through the piston body and the pump cylindrical body; (ii) a discharge-side valve mechanism comprising a discharge flexible tube provided in the middle of a discharge path connected to the discharge port, and a discharge-side crimping mechanism for crimping the discharge flexible tube; (iii) a supply-side valve mechanism comprising a supply flexible tube provided in the middle of a supply path connected to the supply port, and a supply-side crimping mechanism for crimping the supply flexible tube; and (iv) a valve controller which controls opening/closing of the discharge-side valve mechanism and the supply-side valve mechanism alternately according to a relative moving direction of the pump cylindrical body and the piston body. This configuration makes possible to discharge a fixed amount of a supply material stored in a supply region to a discharge region.
However, the apparatus requires the two crimping mechanisms and the valve controller for controlling opening/closing timing of the discharge-side valve mechanism and the supply-side valve mechanism alternately according to a relative moving direction of the pump cylindrical body and the piston body. Consequently, such complex mechanisms require a large and unwieldy apparatus.